the Word and Freedom

I enjoyed this yesterday morning before heading out to a church meeting. I am reading in John 8 with a study Bible (it’s actually an awesome free study Bible – check out the link!) that has some great and enlightening footnotes.

John 8:31-36

Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, If you abide in My word, you are truly My disciples; and you shall know the truth, and the truth shall set you free. They answered Him, We are Abraham’s seed and have never yet been enslaved to anyone. How is it that You say, You shall become free? Jesus answered them, Truly, truly I saw to you, Everyone who commits sin is a slave of sin. And the slave does not abide in the house forever; the son does abide forever. If therefore the Son sets you free, you shall be free indeed.

Because I’m a fan of remembering what I learn, I like to break things sometimes into three key things. Here are my three phrases that I enjoyed.

1- Abide in My word

2-Know the truth.

3. The truth shall set you free.

Isn’t that something we can do? And who doesn’t want to be freed from all struggle and strife, all the hold of sin?I was also really encouraged that what the Son does is infuse truth into us in a living way and He is the only one who can permanently free us. Any temporary distractions that make us feel less condemned still leave us chained to sin, and a slave of it. But, the Son is moving forwards to freedom from sin! If we hold onto the Son, abide in His word and trust in it, we also are free.